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Dorchester Senior Citizens 

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Dorchester is as active as ever, for example:

Parties!

Intergenerational Crafting

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In January our arts and crafts instructor, Gitana the Creative Diva, was awarded a grant by the Department of Cultural Affairs to continue the senior crafting program at DSCC. In order to fulfill the grant requirement of community outreach and participation, we partnered with a fourth grade class at PS 119K, The Amersfort School, to create a display for the school's annual global expo.

Picnic at Wolfe's Pond, Staten Island

Our next bus trip in June is to Staten Island's Wolfe's Pond Park, a lovely quiet and shaded spot by the shore.

Dorchester Center Puts On It's Spring Colors

The warmer weather couldn't come soon enough for the members of Dorchester Senior Center and decorating for the season has been a work in progress for several weeks already. The colorful garlands and bows of the December holidays gave way to the reds of Valentine's Day in February and the greens of St. Patrick's Day in March. April has seen the room bloom in shades of orange and pink in the form of pretty paper lanterns and over-sized crysanthemum cutouts.

MORE COMING SOON!

Crazy Weather

The winter of 2010-2011 proved to be more than anyone expected in terms of snow accumulation. Our first blast of winter's fury hit the northeastern corridor on December 26, 2010, dumping anywhere from 12 to 32 inches of snow depending on the area. In our neck of the woods in Brooklyn, New York, the snowfall average was about 18 inches, enough to create havoc on our day to day activities. This was promptly followed by another storm on January 11 and then another one on January 27. Our members made the best of the situation, many of them braving the elements to show up at their favorite social gathering spot. One of our neighbors built a snowman on their front lawn and Rosa Solari & Nilda Rivera took the opportunity to pose with it. Although the extreme weather did require the closing of the center for several days, we were back in operation in short order, Mother Nature notwithstanding.

Singing Swingers

Our center is fortunate enough to count a number of talented singers among our members. These vocal virtuosos have gathered together into a choral group that travels around to other senior centers and nursing homes around Brooklyn, entertaining and spreading joy to all who have the good fortune to hear them.

The group was originally formed as an activity for blind, visually challenged and sighted members of Dorchester Senior Citizens Center. Due to its increasing popularity, its membership has grown over the years and today it boasts around 30 members. Many of these singers have been members in the group for at least fifteen years. They meet once a week to rehearse.

This group is so well received by the centers that have hosted them that they are frequently requested to return for additional performances. Donations are always welcome so if you're inclined to support this wonderful activity, please contact JoAnne Biswakarma, director of Dorchester Senior Citizens Center.

Their upcoming performances are:

March 29, 2011, 10:30am - Midwood Senior Center, 4815 Avenue I, Brooklyn, NY

May 10, 2011, 10:30am - Sephardic Home for the Aged, 2266 Cropsey Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

This program is made possible with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

Walking Club

Every Tuesday, our intrepid walking club members explore the wilds of our own Ditmas Park neighborhood.

Halloween Costume Party

Ida Masino arrived looking lovely.

Our members can always be counted on to make the party fun! Some looked beautiful, some were funny, others very creative and one or two . . . weird.







Always cheerful staff member SoonJa Kim doing her own thing.

Bright Fall Events

The days may be getting shorter, but Dorchester has been getting brighter and brighter, with September's Red Day and October's Orange Day.

Color days at Dorchester

Dorchester offers a variety of fun activities that let you express your creativity to the fullest. We began this summer with a continued tradition at Dorchester. We choose a certain day to all dress in the same color. This July we chose the color to be yellow like the sizzling sun. To be honest we didn't think it would be this much of a success, but our members really enjoyed it. Most of our members participated and we had lots of fun. We even ran a contest for the most creative outfit. This August we chose the color blue like the bright summer sky. Once again, we ran a contest with prizes. It was a delightful experience to all our members and staff.


Winner of the Yellow Day Contest looking like a basset hound.

"Those Guys" at Dorchester.

On August 6th, 2010 Dorchester featured an amazing performance by a high school band,"Those Guys". This event was set up by our summer volunteers and our staff. This was a very enjoyable experience for all of our members. The band sang acoustically to a few modern songs, such as "After Tonight" by Justin Nozuka, "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, and a few originals, "See the Light" and "Beat of the Drum." They say, music brings us together. Which is why our members decided to kick it with our open mic. Our very own Marty Zlott sang a couple of lovely songs. Our Senior Idol winner Rufus Stoute also decided to show off his skills, and was accompanied by Roman Drevinskiy on the piano. We had snacks and refreshments, and a bit of confetti to bring up the mood even more. Big thanks to "Those Guys" for performing at our center. We wish to have you again!'

Mt. Airy Casino in the Poconos

Happy to say that nobody lost their shirt at Mt. Airy Casino. In fact, some of us did rather well!!

SUNY Downstate RN Classes

It's important to know that people care. And people do. Our center provides the needed attention and care that everybody deserves. For the past three summers we've been working with SUNY Downstate RN classes to help educate our members about their health and how to stay healthy. We've got about 5 workshop days each summer and they've been a great success. The nurses come in to do several presentations such as the effects of smoking, fast food and lack of exercise. They also take everyone's blood pressure and discuss personal health problems with each individual who is interested. Don't worry about being shy, or scared to reveal your medical history to the world. We've got it covered. The consultations are done in private, one by one. Dorchester believes that this is an amazing opportunity to have a chat with a nurse, one on one. Not only can everyone benefit from such visits, they can also fulfill their curiosity about how to care for themselves, what food to eat, what to avoid. We're hoping to continue working with the wonderful staff and their RN students for many years to come.

2010 SUNY Downstate RN Class

You can always throw some fun into it!

Knitting and Crocheting Club

Our knitting and chrocheting instructors.

Cakes at Dorchester

Dorchester Center is not only a fun place to relax, but it is also a great place to eat. Oh, believe me on this one. Not only do we serve great homemade Kosher food, we also have Kosher cakes for all occasions! Birthdays, Anniversarys, Mother's Day, you name it! Our center pre-orders delicious cakes that look like works of art. Here are some of the cakes we previously had. We had to snap pictures fast, because everyone is always eager to taste them. Come to our center and you can get a slice too!